identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
B3336439FFD1FFECCC8F10E0E7CAF851.text	B3336439FFD1FFECCC8F10E0E7CAF851.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Anolis laevis Cope 1876	<div><p>Anolis laevis Cope, 1876</p><p>Proposed standard English name: Swordsman anole</p><p>Proposed standard Spanish name: Anolis espadachín</p><p>Synonyms</p><p>Scytomycterus laevis — Cope, 1876: 165</p><p>Dactyloa laevis — Nicholson et al., 2012; Nicholson et al., 2018.</p><p>Anolis laevis — Boulenger, 1885: 56; Burt &amp; Burt, 1933: 17; Barbour, 1934; 154; Williams, 1965: 6–13; Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1970: 57; Malnate, 1971: 358; Williams, 1979; Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2010; Castañeda &amp; De Queiroz 2013; Poe et al. 2017; Prates et al. 2020; Ineich et al. 2022.</p><p>Holotype. — ANSP 11368 (Figs 1), adult male, Perú, Departamento San Martín, between Moyobamba and Balsapuerto on the river Huallaga in eastern Peru, collected by Prof. James Orton .</p><p>New specimens. — Perú: San Martín department: Mariscal Cáceres province: Huicungo district: CORBIDI 711–712, adult females, collected at <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-77.38841&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-6.89147" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -77.38841/lat -6.89147)">Laguna Negra</a> (6.89147°S, 77.38841°W; 1788 m) on 5 February 2008 by Pablo Venegas; CORBIDI 20282, adult male, collected at Posic (6.44954°S, 77.23110°W; 1926 m) on 8 December 2018 by Luis García-Ayachi; CORBIDI 20299, adult male, collected at <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-77.2571&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-6.56835" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -77.2571/lat -6.56835)">Nuevo Chirimoto</a> (6.56835°S, 77.25710°W; 1990 m) on 10 December 2018 by Luis García-Ayachi .</p><p>Diagnosis. Anolis laevis is a small gray and lichenous anole. We first compare this species to the other anole species that have been recorded to possess a “proboscis ” in males, A. phyllorhinus and A. proboscis . Individuals of A. laevis are easily distinguished from these species by the few scales between the second canthals, 3−6 (8−10 in A. phyllorhinus and A. proboscis), the low number of loreal rows 2−3 (4−7 in A. phyllorhinus and 4−5 in A. proboscis), a very rudimentary proboscis (proboscis extends noticeably farther anteriorly in A. phyllorhinus, A. proboscis [trait only in males]) and a body with a middorsal crest formed by a discontinuous series of triangular scales that is absent on the tail (crest completely absent in A. phyllorhinus, present on dorsum and tail in A. proboscis) (Fig.1).</p><p>Anolis laevis is distinguished from other species in the aequatorialis series, latifrons series, punctatus series, and the Draconura clade that are distributed across the continent (Castañeda &amp; De Queiroz 2013; Poe et al. 2017; Prates et al. 2020) by its relatively smaller tail and body size, and the presence of a middorsal crest on the body and tail.</p><p>Next, we compare Anolis laevis to nearby species of Anolis in Ecuador and Peru that display large smooth headscales and short limbs and tail ( heterodermus series clade). Anolis laevis may be differentiated from A. quimbaya and A. vanzolinii by its smaller body size (SVL to 104 mm in A. vanzolinii, 87 mm in A. quimbaya, 64 mm in A. laevis) and homogeneous lateral scutellation (heterogeneous in A. quimbaya and A. vanzolinii). Anolis laevis is similar to A. orcesi in size and homogeneous lateral scutellation but may be differentiated from A. orcesi by its small rostral appendage present in males (absent in A. orcesi), color pinkish-white in males and black in females ( A. orcesi male: yellow with greenish blue at base, female: orange), color of throat cream yellowish (gray in A. orcesi), and 12−14 loreals (6−8 in A. orcesi, Table 1).</p><p>Geographically proximal Anolis species that share the head scales and body proportions and homogeneous lateral scutellation of A. laevis are A. lososi, A. peruensis and A. williamsmittermeierorum ( nasofrontalis series clade). Anolis laevis differs from these species in its differently colored male and female dewlaps ( A. laevis male: pinkish-white skin with a pale blue border and pinkish-white scales, female: black skin with white scales; A. lososi male: white or cream, female: yellow with round black blotches and pale orange scales; A. peruensis male: solid yellow, female: black; and A. williamsmittermeierorum male: pale tan and distally peach-orange, female: white with border yellow and black blotches) and internal throat coloration ( A. laevis: cream yellowish; A. lososi and A. williamsmittermeierorum:black with edges of mouth bright yellow-orange; A. peruensis:gray).Additionally, A.laevis differs from A. peruensis in its number of loreal scales (12–14 in A. laevis; 17–21 in A. peruensis); in the presence of enlarged middorsal crest (present in A. laevis; absent in A. lososi, A. peruensis, and A. williamsmittermeierorum); and in the female dewlap ratio (0.3 in A. laevis; 0.4 in A. lososi). Table 1 and Figure 2 summarize characteristics for these species.</p><p>Definition (for some traits, data for holotype ANSP 11368 is listed in parentheses). SVL 57.4−64.4 mm (60.0 mm); SVL maximum in males 59 mm (60 mm); SVL maximum in females 64 mm; tail length 69.9−81.5 mm (79.0 mm); head length 16.4−17.6 mm (17.0 mm); head width 7.6−8.5 mm (9.0 mm); head height 6.9−7.4 mm; snout length 7.9−9.7 mm; interorbital length 2.3−2.8 mm; interparietal length 2.0− 2.6 mm; length of scales lateral to interparietal 1.3−2.5 mm; ear height 0.9−1.2 mm; humerus length 7.8−9.0 mm; ulna length 5.4−6.3 mm; hand length 6.0−7.0 mm; femur length 9.4−11.5 mm; tibia length 8.0− 9.7 mm (7.0 mm); foot length 11.3−12.9 mm; 4 th toe length 7.1−8.4 mm; 4 th toe width 1.1−1.5 mm; dewlap length 15.1−20.2 mm; dewlap height 4.5−9.6 mm; and appendage rostral length 1.4−1.5 mm.</p><p>Head scales in supraocular disc and frontal region smooth; 3−6 (4) scales between second canthals; 3−4 scales bordering the rostral posteriorly; circumnasal in contact or separated by one scale from rostral; supraorbital semicircles in contact; supraocular disc with 1–3 enlarged scales; supraocular edge inconsistently bordered by smaller scales; a slightly enlarged superciliary followed by small scales; 2−3 (2) loreal rows; 12−14 loreal scales; rostral with smooth dorsal edge; frontal region of head with a slight depression; rostral overlapping mental; interparietal larger than ear opening, in contact or separated by one scale (in contact), in contact with semicircles; ear oval with scaly protrusion; preoccipital scale absent; suboculars in contact (in contact) with supralabials; 7−9 supralabials to center of eye; four postmentals; 3−4 enlarged sublabials in contact with infralabials; mental partially divided; mental even or extending farther posteriorly than rostral; mental posterior edge straight or concave.</p><p>High nuchal crest formed by discontinuous series of narrow triangular scales; high middorsal crest formed by discontinuous series of triangular scales (crest barely visible due to poor condition); body dorsal scales smooth; 7−9 middorsal scales in a longitudinal segment representing 5% of SVL; flank scales smooth, homogeneous in size; ventral scales larger than dorsals, smooth, subimbricate, with round posterior edge, arranged in diagonal or transverse rows; 6−7 midventral scales in a longitudinal segment representing 5% of SVL; axillary pocket absent.</p><p>Toepads overlapping second phalanx in all toes; 18−19 lamellae under phalanges II and III of fourth toe (lamellae count according to Williams et al. [1995]); supradigitals smooth; tail crest absent, only serrate; tail vertically or laterally compressed, with a single row of middorsal scales; enlarged postcloacal scales in males, scales absent or slightly enlarged in females; hindlimbs short, not reaching axillae when adpressed against body.</p><p>Nuchal and dorsal folds absent; dewlap extending posteriorly to forelimbs in females, beyond forelimbs in males, with longitudinal rows of one scale each, separated by naked skin.</p><p>Summary of morphological characters and sexual variation in Anolis laevis is presented in Table 2.</p><p>Color in life</p><p>Adult male CORBIDI 20282 (Fig. 3A, B, C, D undisturbed specimen): dorsum of head, body, limbs and tail whitish gray and lichenous; dorsum of body with three faint broad, tan-gray transverse bands extending onto the flanks; dorsum of limbs with light and black green transverse bands; dorsum of the fingers with greenish black transverse bands; dorsum of tail with tan-gray transverse bands; crest tan-green; flanks of head and neck with a greenish black irregular line extending posteriorly from loreal region, through ocular region, above tympanum to level of shoulder; flanks of the body with black thin spots surrounded by light green scales; flanks of the body with a greenish black blotch over the shoulder; ventral aspect of head white; ventral aspect of body cream with diagonal brown spots; ventral aspect of limbs and tail cream with faint brown spots; iris brown; throat lining tan-yellow; tongue pink; edge of mouth including jaw hinges tan-yellow; dewlap skin pinkish white with a border faint light blue; scales of dewlap pinkish white; appendage rostral white.</p><p>When stressed, adult male CORBIDI 20299 (Fig. 3E, F, G) turned dorsal background of head, body, limbs and tail brown. Throat lining tan-yellow; tongue pink; edge of mouth including jaw hinges tan-yellow.</p><p>Adult female CORBIDI 711 (Fig. 3H, I, J, slightly disturbed specimen): dorsum of head, body, limbs and tail whitish brown and lichenous; dorsum of body with three faint broad, dark brown transverse bands extending onto the flanks; dorsum of limbs, fingers, and tail with dark brown transverse bands; crest blackish brown; flanks of head brown and greenish cream with a black irregular line extending posteriorly from loreal region, through ocular region to level of ear, and a white blotch extending posteriorly from subocular region to ear; flanks of the body with black spots onto the dark brown transverse bands; ventral aspect of head white with brown reticulations; ventral aspect of body white mottled with brown, and with transversal dark brown spots forming faint thin bands; ventral aspect of limbs, and tail white with brown spots; iris brown; dewlap skin black; scales of dewlap white.</p><p>When stressed, adult female CORBIDI 711 (Fig. 3K, L) turned dorsal background of head, body, limbs and tail tan-brown; flanks of head pale green with a greenish yellow blotch extending posteriorly from subocular region to ear; iris reddish brown.</p><p>Color in preservative</p><p>Adult male CORBIDI 20282 (Fig. 4A, B, C, D, E, F): dorsum of head, body, limbs and tail brown; dorsum of limbs, fingers and tail dark brown transverse bands; flanks of head and neck with a black irregular line extending posteriorly from loreal region, through ocular region, above tympanum to level of shoulder; flanks of the body brown with black thin spots, and a black blotch over de shoulder; ventral aspect of head white; ventral aspect of body white and brown with dark brown spots; ventral aspect of limbs white; ventral aspect of tail white in the proximal region and brown in the distal region; dewlap skin white; scales of dewlap white; appendage rostral white ventrally and brown dorsally.</p><p>Adult male CORBIDI 20299 (Fig. 4G): dorsal crest dark brown.</p><p>Adult female CORBIDI 711 (Fig. 4H, I, J K, L): dorsum of head, body, limbs and tail light brown; dorsum of limbs with faint dark brown transverse bands; dorsum of fingers and tail with dark brown transverse bands; crest blackish brown; flanks of head brown and cream with a dark brown irregular line extending posteriorly from loreal region, through ocular region to level of ear; flanks of the body brown with black spots; ventral aspect of head white with brown spots; ventral aspect of body white mottled with brown; ventral aspect of limbs white with brown spots; ventral aspect of tail white in the proximal region and brown in the distal region; dewlap skin black; scales of dewlap white.</p><p>Distribution and natural history. With our work, Anolis laevis is now known from four localities along Amazon slopes of the northern portion of the eastern Andean slope of northeastern Peru, at elevations between 1700 to 1990 m a.s.l. (Fig. 5). The four localities are located in the San Martín department at the basins of the Mayo and Huayabamba rivers, both tributaries of the Huallaga River. According to Olson et al. (2001), all of these localities lie in the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion. The new locality closest to the type locality (Moyobamba-Balsapuerto) is between 54 and 101 km away. The four specimens reported here were collected sleeping on leaves between 1.5 and 2 m above ground in the understory vegetation at very humid montane forest (Fig. 6) according to the vegetation formations of Duellman &amp; Pramuk (1999).</p><p>Conservation status. Anolis leavis is an arboreal species only known from four localities and a narrow altitudinal range (1700 to 1990 m a.s.l.) at the Huallaga River basin in the San Martín department. The montane forest below 2500 m a.s.l. are strongly fragmented in the San Martín and adjacent Amazonas department and to the date the deforestation continues due to the migratory agriculture and colonization, even in protected areas. Therefore, we suggest that A. leavis should be considered as Endangered following the criteria B1b(iii)c(i) (IUCN 2019), due to its current known extent of occurrence being 1920 km ² (less than 5000 km ²) with a continuous decline of habitat quality and an extreme fluctuation in extent of occurrence produced by agricultural activities.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B3336439FFD1FFECCC8F10E0E7CAF851	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Ayala-Varela, Fernando;Venegas, Pablo J.;García-Ayachi, Luis Alberto;Poe, Steven	Ayala-Varela, Fernando, Venegas, Pablo J., García-Ayachi, Luis Alberto, Poe, Steven (2026): Mythic lizard rediscovered: redescription of Anolis laevis Cope 1876 (Squamata: Anolidae) from recent collections in Peru. Zootaxa 5752 (4): 516-530, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5752.4.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5752.4.4
